Record Rank Amount 189 $200,120,000 441 $173,965,065 289 $374,085,065 35 $200,120,000 43 $173,965,065 40 $374,085,065 39 $200,120,000 69 $173,965,065 53 $374,085,065 See the tab (Domestic) and tab (International and Worldwide) for more Cumulative Box Office Records. Movie Details Production Budget: $232,000,000 Domestic Releases: June 28th, 2006 (Wide) by June 28th, 2008 (IMAX) by November 28th, 2006 by MPAA Rating: for some intense action violence Running Time: 150 minutes Franchise: Comparisons: Keywords:,,,, Source: Genre: Production Method: Creative Type: Production Companies:,,, Production Countries: Ranking on other Records and Milestones. The summer is usually a really weak time for home market releases, but this week is amazing. Not only are there two $100 million hits coming out on DVD / Blu-ray this week, but there are also half-a-dozen TV on DVD releases, a few limited releases, direct-to-DVD releases, and catalog titles, many of which are worth picking up, or even contenders for Pick of the Week. I tried to narrow the list of contenders down to one, but I couldn't do it. In the end I went with Leverage: Season Three on and on as co-winners of the Pick of the Week. January 23rd, 2007 The nominations were handed out today and for the most part they've followed the script written by previous awards committees fairly closely. December 22nd, 2006 was the best of a winning out in a very, very close race with at $10.74 million to $10.67 million. December 16th, 2006 There were a boatload of to chart this week led by with $12.93 million, which was just a hair lower than 's open week rentals from a week ago. This week that film placed second with a still impressive $10.71 million. December 9th, 2006 led a group of four, all of which placed in the top ten. It was the clear winner after taking in $12.95 million during its first week of release, which was one of the best debuts of the year. December 3rd, 2006 We've been meaning to put out a holiday gift guide for a long, long time; however, the holidays are the busiest time of year for a site like ours so, much like our gift-giving, we've always run out of time to put together the kind of bumper list that we'd like to. But instead of putting it off yet again, we are going to try to get out a few good gift ideas each week from now until Christmas. We hope you find the perfect present for that hard-to-buy-for movie fan in your life. Or find the perfect gift for yourself, of course. November 27th, 2006 The Thanksgiving long weekend is the busiest time of year for shopping so it makes sense that studios try to rush out as many A-list DVDs for before that weekend and the Tuesday after tends to be a little light. There are still several hundred DVDs being released tomorrow, 90% of which are related. Actually, there are fifteen such releases, but the DVD Pick of the Week is not among them. That honor goes to -, but there were several runners-up including,, and of course, -. October 3rd, 2006 became the latest film to take advantage of the really big screen experience. Over its first weekend, the film earned an estimated $1.4 million on just 65 IMAX screens for an average of $21,500. Apr 04, 2011 He's back. A hero for our millennium. And not a moment too soon, because during the five years (much longer in movie-fan years!) Superman. October 1st, 2006 Ye Yan, a.k.a., The Banquet opened in third place in South Korea with $1.04 million on 183 screens over the weekend and $1.24 million in total. That helped the film place sixth overall with $5.52 million on 734 screens in 6 markets lifting its international total to $15.94 million, which is just above its production budget. September 24th, 2006 shot up the charts into sixth place with $5.97 million on 1597 screens in 23 markets for a total of $22.63 million internationally. The film had million dollar debuts in both Spain, ($2.06 million on 250 screens), and Mexico, ($1.04 million on 352), while came reasonably close in Russia, ($960,000 on 217 screens, including midweek numbers). In all three markets, the film placed second on the charts. More amazingly is the film's performance in the U.K. As it dipped just 17% to $1.05 million on 315 screens over the weekend and a three-week total of $5.75 million. September 17th, 2006 climbed into 6th place on the international charts, the best placing the film has earned. It had a few openings, the biggeset being a sixth place, $410,000 debut on 89 screens in South Korea over the weekend, and $469,000 in total. On the other hand, the film place first in Belgium with $197,000 on 36 screens over the weekend and $226,000 in total and third in Denmark with $102,000 on 32 screens over the weekend and $108,000 in total. Overall it earned $3.44 million on 1423 screens in 22 markets for a total of $31.96 million, which puts it about a week from topping its domestic total. September 10th, 2006 No new openings left down 40% to $5.87 million on 3779 screens in 32 markets for a total of $90.08 million. It was reported that the film broke a record for an film in China with $6.7 million putting it ahead of, which is a strange thing to report since the movie isn't. Sure, it has a, but that's not the same. As for the film's prospects for the future, hitting $100 million internationally is academic at this point and with several openings to go, including previews in Australia this weekend, the film could finish with close to the $125 million earned by the. September 3rd, 2006 A first place opening in the U.K. Helped shoot up the charts nearly reaching the top five. While it did have to settle for sixth place, its $4.32 million on 914 screens in 8 markets was enough to push its still early international total to $13.01 million. Over in the U.K., the film picked up $3.10 million on 409 screens and that was more than double its. The film opened in Iceland over the weekend earning second place to with $42,000 in three theatres. August 23rd, 2006 is starting to shed screens and that was part of the reason it fell 43% this weekend, however, it still earned more than the next two films combined while crossing the $500 million milestone. Over the weekend it added $24.82 million on 7014 screens in 51 markets to its international total of $521.46 million while its worldwide total hit $922.72 million. This is the seventh week in a row that the film has topped the international charts tying the previous record set by back in 2003. On the all-time international charts, the film is now in 12th place all-time, just a few million behind and is now fifth place. Where does it go from here? It has yet to open in Italy and by the time it does it could reach $1 billion in total ticket sales, but odds are 's second place is safe. August 9th, 2006 For the fifth week in a row, dominated the international box office earning nearly five times what its nearest competition took in. Over the weekend it brought in $57.32 million on 8208 screens in 50 markets for a total of $392.22 million internationally and $771.92 million worldwide, (at the end of the weekend). A large chunk of this weekend's haul come from new openings, including a phenomenal $17.8 million on 700 screens in France. Other debuts include Hong Kong, ($1.6 million on 35 screens), and South Africa, ($670,000). The film is already the highest grossing movie of the year worldwide, and with strong holds and openings in Spain and Italy still to go, it could top 's international total as well, a total that currently sits at $530.38 million. August 2nd, 2006 may have lost its box office crown domestically, but it is still rules the international markets. This week it earned $55.34 million while playing on 7,610 screens in 44 markets, lifting its totals to $301.90 million internationally and $660.39 million worldwide. After the weekend it was sitting in 40th place on the international charts and 26th. The film opened in first place in Germany with an outstanding $17.34 million on 1,330 screens while re-entered the charts in fifth place with just over $500,000. The film also had million dollar openings in Austria at $2.8 million on 105 screens, Belgium at $2.06 million on 127, and Switzerland at $1.57 million on 101. Meanwhile, the film was down a jaw-dropping 64% in its second weekend in Japan, earning a still impressive $6.11 million on 764 screens for a total of $32.44 million after just two weeks. The reason for this steep, nearly vertical drop-off is simple, the Japanese hate cliffhanger endings in movies. They like movies that are individual units and if they feel the film is just a two-hour setup to the, it will suffer at the box office. July 26th, 2006 added another 10 markets to its international run as it again top the charts with $60.10 million on 6079 screens for a total of $214.10 million internationally. The film became the fifth film of the year to earn $200 million internationally and the third to cross $500 million worldwide. Among the host of number one openings this week were Japan at $16.65 million on 761 screens and Mexico with $5.67 million on 791 screens. Other impressive debuts include Brazil, ($3.1 million), Argentina ($1.3 million), Poland ($1.17 million), and Chile ($1.1 million). Its biggest market overall continues to be the U.K. Where it added $7.19 million on 520 screens to its running tally of $58.48 million while it has topped $20 million on both Australia, ($21.68), and Russia, ($20.51). The film opens in Germany, France, and Spain in consecutive weekends before closing its international run with its Italian debut in September. July 19th, 2006 opened in another 17 markets over the weekend taking first place in all of them while adding $58 million on 3,336 screens. This gave it a two-week international total of $125 million and helped it become the seventh film this year to top $100 million internationally. The film's best opening of the week was in Russia where it captured 85% of the market while scoring a record-breaking $9.24 million on 552 screens over the weekend and $10.87 million in total. It also broke records in a trio of smaller markets: Singapore with $1.8 million on 65 screens, Malaysia with $1.1 million on 70 and in the Ukraine with $1 million on 125. Other multi-million dollar openings were Sweden, ($3.49 million on 127), Denmark, ($2.58 million on 85), and Netherlands, ($2.22 million on 132). Holdovers remained strong led by the U.K. At $11.14 million on 514 screens for a total of $49.23 million, but that was down 47% from its opening. On the other hand, the film was down just 32% in South Korea to $3.84 million on 396 screens over the weekend and $13.55 million in total and 37% in Australia to $5.31 million on 490 screens for a two-week total of $17.32 million. July 17th, 2006 The news was mostly good over the weekend with practically every film in the top five beating expectations, and the only one that didn't,, missing by a rounding error. However, the overall box office was still down a huge 27% from last weekend to $159 million. More significantly, it was down 4% from the same weekend last year breaking 2006's eight-week winning streak. Even so, strong midweek numbers allowed 2006 to stretch its lead over 2005 to a very healthy 6%. July 13th, 2006 There are a lot of questions about this weekend's box office; which film will finish in first place is not one of them. Will repeat as overall box office champion, but there is a question of how far it will fall during its second weekend of release. Also, the two new wide releases are tracking with nearly identical numbers and that should set up a real race for second place. July 12th, 2006 started its international run with day-and-date releases in seven markets and on 1552 screens earning an astounding $46.64 million. Over half of that total came from the U.K. Where it debuted in first place with $21.21 million on 514 screens over the weekend and $25.41 million in total. That was the film's only 8-figure opening, but it also did well in Australia with $8.33 million on 489 screens and New Zealand with $1.17 million on 95 screens. The film set a record for top opening for a Hollywood film in South Korea with $8.4 million on 450 screens while topping the market in Taiwan with $1.9 million on 18, Thailand with $1.4 million on 110, and an estimated $100,000 in Uruguay. In most markets the film earned double what its made. However, if one were to look for a downside, you'd quickly notice that the film didn't break nearly as many records internationally as it did domestically. It was a top ten all-time opening in many markets, but not the colossal it was here. July 10th, 2006 We finally had a blockbuster live up to, and exceed its expectations. And with the record-destroying run of the total box office exploded to nearly $220 million, which was up 42% from last year and more than 46% from the same weekend last year. This total is the largest ever for a weekend breaking the previous record of $188 million, which was earned in when opened. And overall, 2006's lead over 2005 grew from 3% to 5%, easily more than ticket price inflation. July 6th, 2006 While disappointed during its theatrical opening this past weekend, it did break records on screens. The film opened on 76 IMAX screens and pulled in $6.83 million during its first week of release for a record-breaking per screen average of $89,804. While internationally it opened on 11 screens and also set a record for week long per screen average at $67,888. This is the first film to undergo 's 2D to 3D conversion and the 20 minutes of 3D action certainly helped draw people into theatres. Whether this was a result of novelty of genuine appeal will go a long way in determining how many more records the film can break. July 6th, 2006 The latest 'Sure Thing' openings tomorrow. But this Summer seven previous 'Sure Things' have already come out and only one or two have actually lived up to expectations. Both and, more or less, but with my expectations were somewhat lower than the industry average and its final box office is still looked at as a disappointment by many. Will break this trend, or will it be the latest victim in a summer of over-hyped misses? July 6th, 2006 easily led the per theatre charts this weekend with just over $43,000 in 2 theatres for an average of $21,571. Since it debuted on Wednesday, the film has made almost $70,000. Second place went to the overall box office champ,, which pulled in a solid average $12,924 of over the three-day weekend. Last week's winner was the only holdover to reach $10,000 average as brought in nearly $35,000 on 3 screens for an average of $11,570. July 5th, 2006 started its staggered international release schedule with a first place, $22.13 million opening on 1779 screens in 11 markets. Highlights include a $3.88 million Australian debut on 409 screens and a $3.79 million debut on 355 screens in South Korea, ($5.00 million including Thursday). In both markets the film finished first. The rest of the markets were decidedly smaller, but the film still cracked $1 million in the Philippines with $2.58 million on 81, (while bringign in 90% of the market), Taiwan with $1.58 million on 151 screens, India with $1.49 million 274, Thailand with $1.47 million on 204, and Singapore with $1.16 million on 73. The film has no major openings this weekend and will slip to second with the debut of, but the two should battle for supremacy over the coming weeks. July 5th, 2006 While we had one film missing expectations, and another beating them by nearly the same amount, for the most part, the weekend played out exactly as expected. Compared to last weekend, the $154 million made at the box office from Friday to Sunday was up 9.4%. More importantly, it was up 7.9% from the same weekend last year. (Comparing the 5-day weekend to last year is pointless since the holiday fell on a Monday last year.) Year-to-date, 2006 is 3% higher than 2005 while the summer pace is ahead by a smaller 1% margin. June 30th, 2006 It seems a lot of people are starting their holidays early, but not this column as it's the busiest it's been in more than a month. Including in this list are a few newly released teaser trailers and a handful of flash sites, most of which are worth checking out. But the best of the best is the -. June 29th, 2006 Superman Returns posted a very respectable, but not spectacular, gross of $21,037,277 on its opening day yesterday. That's the 8th biggest opening Wednesday in history (see chart below), and slightly less than the opening day's receipts for The War of the Worlds, which opened in the same Wednesday-before-July-4 slot last year. It's still too early to tell how the weekend will work out, but a comparison with War of the Worlds suggests an opening weekend (Friday-Sunday) of around $65 million. June 28th, 2006 With this being the July 4th long weekend, several films are getting a jump on weekend rush, including what could become the biggest hit of the year. But there seems to be some signs of weakness in the man of steel. Will some cinematic kryptonite spoil Superman's return to theaters? June 26th, 2006 With what could be the biggest hit of the year opening in just a few days, we have our biggest box office prediction contest yet, with three winners taking home a total of 3 copies of CDs, 3 teaser posters, 2 final posters, and a hat. Two of the winners will be decided based on who can predict the opening weekend box office for, while the third will be chosen at random from the list of eligible entries. All three will win a copy of the CD and the teaser poster, while the person who comes closest to predicting the opening 3-day weekend (Friday to Sunday), without going over, and the person who closest to predicting the opening 3-day weekend (Friday to Sunday), without going under, will each win a copy of the final poster. Finally, the person who comes closest overall will also take home the hat. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Thursday to be eligible, so don't delay! June 23rd, 2006 Just an average week with - taking the prize for the best of the week. June 19th, 2006 It may seem like a really slow week for DVD releases, but this is because several releases were grouped together. I have one section for the five releases instead of spreading them out and padding the word count. Taking that into account, the week is about average in terms of quantity, and quality. There were a handful of contenders this week, and a few that looked good in advance but the special feature were a let down. In the end I went with - as the best of the best while - earns and honorable mention. 'Go with him.' (If you get that reference, you probably already have the latter release pre-ordered.) June 19th, 2006 As a preview for next week's Superman Returns contest, this week amateur Box Office prognosticators have a shot at winning the by predicting the opening weekend box office of. Whoever comes closest to predicting the opening 3-day weekend (Friday to Sunday), without going over, will win the. Entries must be received by 10 a.m., Pacific Time on Friday to be eligible, so don't delay! June 9th, 2006 It was a slow week it terms of major updates and that allowed the in me to grant - the gloriously premature Weekly Website Award. Let's hope the full site lives up to this title. June 2nd, 2006 There were a few major updates for a few major movie sites this week, and it was one such site that walked away with the Weekly Website Award - -. June 1st, 2006 May might have gotten off to a slow start, but it sure made up for it in the end. June looks to keep up the fast pace, but out of the dozen or so movies opening wide this month, only two look like they have to potential to be monster hits and after that there is a huge drop-off in box office potential. There are a few others that should earn their keep, and maybe one or two that will surprise, but most look average at best. May 16th, 2006 There was very little to celebrate for over the weekend. Sure, the Sunday numbers turned out to be much stronger than estimated, but the real good news was the film's performance at IMAX theatres nationwide. Playing on just 62 screens, the film was able to bring in an estimated $1.4 million. Its per theatre average on IMAX was $22,700 compared to an average of $5940 in conventional theatres. May 5th, 2006 It was not a great week when it comes to new websites with most of the really interesting updates coming in the form of new trailers. However, it was one of those sites, -, that was awarded the Weekly Website Award. I just hope when the site goes live in two weeks by Fanboy enthusiasm is rewarded. January 11th, 2006 While the overall domestic box office dropped by an estimated 6% this year, had a record breaking year for total ticket sales (although exact figures were not released). Much of this success was due to DMR releasing of blockbuster Hollywood films like,, and. December 8th, 2005 During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Despite being there being two weeks between updates, this was not a very strong week. Sure, there were plenty of websites updated, but not a lot that really stood out as being award worthy. In the end it was - that was the best of the bunch and hopefully it will continue to grow and earn that award. November 24th, 2005 During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates, including this week's winner, -. November 10th, 2005 During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates, including this week's winner, - October 6th, 2005 During the past week promotional websites for several movies were launched and some older ones added additional content. Here the list of this week's releases, a couple of new sites and few updates, including this week's winner, -. January 6th, 2003. • $223 million (gross) • $204 million (net) Box office $391.1 million Superman Returns is a 2006 American directed and produced. It is based on the character and serves as an to the motion pictures (1978) and (1980), while ignoring the events of (1983) and (1987). The film stars as Clark Kent/Superman, as, as, with,, and. The film tells the story of the title character returning to Earth after a five-year absence. He finds that his has moved on with her life, and that his archenemy is plotting a scheme that will destroy Superman and the world. After a series of unsuccessful projects to resurrect Superman on screen following the critical failure and of (1987), hired Bryan Singer to direct and develop Superman Returns in July 2004. The majority of took place at, Sydney, while the visual effects sequences were created by a number of studios, including,,,, and; filming ended in November 2005. Upon release, Superman Returns received generally positive critical reviews, with critics praising its visual effects, story, musical score, and style. However, it received mixed reviews in later years, with criticism focused on its length, story, and lack of action sequences. While it was a box office success, Warner Bros. Was disappointed with the worldwide box office return. A sequel was planned for a summer 2009 release, but the project was later canceled. The was completely rebooted in 2013 with the film, directed by and starring as Superman. Contents • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • • Plot [ ] For the previous five years, Superman has mysteriously abandoned his adopted home of Earth while on a journey into outer space to investigate what astronomers believed to be an intact. In his absence, journalist and past love Lois Lane wrote a scathing article 'Why the World Doesn't Need Superman', winning her the Pulitzer Prize. Lois is engaged to Richard White, the nephew of editor-in-chief Perry White, and with whom she shares a young asthmatic son, Jason. Notorious criminal mastermind Lex Luthor secured an early release from prison due to Superman not appearing as a prosecution witness during Luthor's fifth appeal trial. By seducing an old heiress, Luthor is able to inherit her fortune, giving him resources for his next scheme. Superman returns to Earth, crash landing at the Kent farm, just as he did as a child. He reveals to his foster mother Martha Kent that he left hoping to find his home world, and expresses his dismay at being the only one of his kind remaining. Upon returning to in his human identity of Clark Kent, he is shocked to discover the consequences of his disappearance. When a mysterious nationwide power outage causes catastrophic failures during a space shuttle launch, Clark realizes he must reemerge as Superman. Saving the shuttle and its ferry jet in highly public fashion causes a resurgence of media attention regarding Superman's return. Unbeknownst to anyone, the accident was triggered by Luthor using Kryptonian technology stolen from the. Luthor sends his moll, Kitty, to distract Superman, allowing him to steal a sample of from a museum. Still investigating the earlier power outage, Lois tracks the to the mansion Luthor recently inherited and, along with her son, explores the yacht docked there. Discovering Luthor, she is held captive as the yacht heads out into the Atlantic. Luthor plans to use the Kryptonian crystal technology Superman used to create his Fortress of Solitude to create a massive new continent which would swallow some of the current land masses bordering the Atlantic. The world will then be forced to use his new land. Placing a crystal inside a shell of refined kryptonite, Luthor triggers the new land growth by launching it into the sea. Further information: Director and producer conceived the storyline of 'Superman returning to Earth after a five-year absence' during the filming of (2003). He presented the idea to and her husband, director of (1978). Donner greeted Singer's idea with positive feedback. In March 2004, Warner Bros. Was commencing on Superman: Flyby, which had a target theatrical release date of June 2006. Was signed to direct with a script by, but dropped out in June 2004. That same month, Singer was approached by Warner Bros. To his idea for Superman Returns, as he was preparing to leave for Hawaii on a short vacation with his X2 writers and. While in Hawaii, Singer, Dougherty and Harris began to outline the. In July 2004, Singer signed on to direct and develop Superman Returns. Although he was not a comic book fan, Singer was most impressed with Donner's 1978 film, citing it as an influence of his, Dougherty and Harris's writing. With Singer's hiring, he dropped out of (2006) and also had the Logan's Run remake pushed back. Superman Returns was financed 50/50 between Warner Bros. And, and pre-production began in November 2004. By February 2005, Dougherty and Harris had written six drafts of the script. Early versions of the script contained references to the before they were removed. Production [ ] Warner Bros. Considered shooting Superman Returns at in the, Australia. After filming, this could have been used as an attraction for the adjoining theme park, but the idea was scrapped for being too expensive. Set construction started in January 2005 at for the film's 60 setpieces, while the start date was pushed back for two weeks. In an attempt to avoid public attention, Superman Returns carried the fake of Red Sun during filming. Starting in late March 2005, lasted until November. Filming of Superman Returns in constituted hiring thousands of local workers, generating over $100 million into the local economy. 80% of filming took place at Fox Studios Australia, occupying all nine. Scenes set in were shot at, while the doubled for the Metropolis Museum of Natural History. Design and effects [ ]. A digital recreation of Marlon Brando in the film, as. Superman Returns was shot using 's digital camera. Production designer was influenced by 's for the design of the. ESC Entertainment was originally set to design the visual effects sequences, but Warner Bros. Replaced them with the hiring of from as the. A total of 1,400 visual effects shots were created. The script required a scene of Superman safely delivering a in a where was used as it would have been impossible to assemble the number of for the shots. A crew traveled to to photograph elements that were composited into the final images. The scenes of Metropolis was actually a modified version of the skyline of Manhattan. Using footage from the original Superman (1978) film as a reference point, was re-created by using CGI. The opening credits for Superman Returns are presented in an intended recreation of the style used for Superman, again to the accompaniment of 's theme music. See also: and Singer hired regular collaborator as editor and composer months before the script was written. Ottman said in past interviews that, who composed the 1978 film, had influenced his decision to become a musician. He was both cautious and enthusiastic to work on Superman Returns. 'Bryan [Singer] said he wouldn't even the movie if he couldn't use the John Williams music.' Ottman continued, 'it was important for me to preserve the Williams theme right down to every single note for the opening titles.' Ottman referred to his work on Superman Returns as a to, not a of, Williams. Budget [ ] Originally budgeted at $184.5 million, Warner Bros. Placed the final production cost at $$223 million, coming down to $204 million after factoring in tax rebates and incentives. Taking into account the, total expenditure is estimated to be around $263 million, with up to a further $100 million spent on worldwide marketing. Release [ ] Marketing [ ]. The Superman Returns cast with members of the team. Promoted Superman Returns at 2005 San Diego. Singer and screenwriters Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris came up with the idea of publishing a, spanning four comic book issues. The stories were written by, and Justin Gray, with artwork by and. During production, a series of ' on the Internet were released at, showing behind-the-scenes work being done. After 27 installments, the video diaries stopped for a while shortly before the debuted on November 17, 2005. The main theatrical trailer premiered online on May 2, 2006. The trailer appeared in theaters on May 5, with prints of, while the international trailer came with and. DC Comics published a comics adaptation by artist Matt Haley and writer, wrote a, and developed a based on both the movie and the comics. The estimated budget for Superman Returns marketing campaign was $45.5 million, the second highest of the year behind $53.5 million campaign for. Made deals with,,,,,, and. The film was also advertised with cars at the. Managed to get the team's first top three finish that day; on the podium, he wore a Superman cape in celebration of his achievement. Sprint Cup champion also sported the 'Man of Steel' look by promoting the movie on his #24 in the 2006. Appeared in promotional 'Superman' leathers and sported a cape on the podium following a win and a 2nd place at the 2006 Brands Hatch Superbike World Championship round on his way to winning. The released The Science of Superman on June 29, 2006: a that studied analogies with the Superman mythos. Singer admitted at 2006 Comic-Con International that he was dissatisfied with the marketing and promotion. 'A lot of people did their job, and a lot didn't'. Box office [ ] Bryan Singer convinced Warner Bros. Not to experiment with. In addition, Singer removed 15 minutes of footage from Superman Returns after showing it to some of his 'trusted associates'. The final theatrical time length ran at 154 minutes. Originally slated the movie for release on Friday, June 30, but moved it up to Wednesday, June 28. Superman Returns was released on June 28, 2006 in the United States and Canada in 4,065 theaters. The film ranked at the top in its opening weekend, grossing $52.5 million. Superman Returns: An IMAX 3D Experience was released simultaneously in 111 format theatres worldwide, which included 20 minutes of converted material. It was the first Hollywood full-length live-action film to be released in this combined format. One of the key scenes Singer took out was 'the Return to Krypton sequence'. $10 million was spent on this sequence alone, but it was deleted. Singer noted that it could not be released as part of a DVD featurette because it was converted to IMAX 3D. He hoped it could have appeared in an IMAX. The film's second week gross rapidly declined from the first week, due to the presence of and. Superman Returns went on to gross $200,081,192 in North America and $191 million internationally, earning $391,081,192 worldwide. Domestically, the film was the sixth-highest-grossing film of 2006. In worldwide totals, Superman Returns was ninth-highest. Critical reception [ ] On Superman Returns has an approval rating of 76% based on 262 reviews, with an average rating of 6.8/10. The site's critical consensus reads, 'Bryan Singer's reverent and visually decadent adaptation gives the Man of Steel welcome emotional complexity. The result: a satisfying stick-to-your-ribs adaptation.' On the film has a score of 72 out of 100, based on 40 critics, indicating 'generally favorable reviews'. Audiences polled by gave the film an average grade of 'B+' on an A+ to F scale. Of praised Superman Returns, calling it one of the best. He was mostly impressed with Singer's direction and the storyline. From also gave a positive review, but observed Routh's and Bosworth's acting was 'somewhat dead or super average. Nothing special.' Morgenstern believed Lex Luthor's characterization was 'well written by the writers and well played by Kevin Spacey'. He also praised Newton Thomas Sigel's cinematography and Guy Hendrix Dyas's production design., writing in, felt the film 'perfectly updates Superman for the modern audience'. Of called it 'surprisingly well made. It's a summer filled with and sensitivity.' Reacted positively to the movie, comparing it favorably with Richard Donner's 1978 film. He felt Spacey was better than Gene Hackman as Lex Luthor, describing him as 'more cruel and less flippant' than Hackman. 'There are no miscasts to be found in the supporting cast, either,' Berardinelli said. ' Superman Returns is near the top, if not at the top of the superhero movie pile. It offers nearly everything: romance, action, humor, and plenty of.' However, argued the film was a 'glum, lackluster movie in which even the big effects sequences seem dutiful instead of exhilarating.' He also felt that 'Brandon Routh lacks charisma as Superman', surmising that he 'may have been cast because he looks a little like Reeve'. Of the felt that Warner Bros. Should have the series along the lines of. He also felt Bosworth, at 22 years old, was too young to portray Lois Lane, and the did not 'match the potential of the tiring 154-minute-long film'. Other commentary [ ] On May 3, 2009, almost three years after the debut of Superman Returns, the winning filmmaker and screenwriter declared his appreciation for Bryan Singer's directorial work on Superman Returns and that he would write a 20-page review about Superman Returns. On January 9, 2012, more than five years after the movie was released, the independent film community daily news site released a two-part video essay that probes the nature of Superman Returns. Produced by Matt Zoller Seitz and Ken Cancelosi, the critique was inspired by a review that Seitz wrote for the in 2006, in which he stated that 'From the moment its hero returns to the sky to rescue Lois Lane from a plummeting jet, Superman Returns flirts with greatness.' A critical commentary of the film written in English around the time of its release by a Pakistani columnist, Dr Haider Mahdi, accused the film of being 'American propaganda' and portraying opponents to the United States as evil, while defending American foreign policy. It claims previous adaptations of Superman advocate American aggression and coincided the films release with America's war in the Middle East and South Asia. It alleges that American society has always needed an 'external threat' to justify invasions and aggression and the portrayal of Superman in film glorifies him when he eliminates these 'external threats'. In 2013, Singer stated that Superman Returns was made for 'Perhaps more of a female audience. It wasn't what it needed to be, I guess.' Singer stated that he would have cut about the first quarter off of the film and started it with 'the jet disaster sequence or something. I could have grabbed the audience a little more quickly. I don't know what would have helped. Probably nothing. If I could go again, I would do an origin. I would reboot it.' Ranked the movie 496 on its 'The 500 Greatest Movies of All Time' list, stating, 'It may have been a slighter return than some people had hoped for, but Singer's vision of the Man Of Steel is an heroic effort. Plenty of spectacle and a lot of heart helps Kal-El soar.' Accolades [ ] Superman Returns was nominated for both the and, but lost to. The film was successful at the, winning, and categories for (Bryan Singer), (Brandon Routh), (Michael Dougherty and Dan Harris) and (John Ottman). Kate Bosworth, Tristan Lake Leabu, James Marsden, Parker Posey, and the visual effects department were nominated for categories. However, Bosworth was also nominated a for Worst Supporting Actress. Year Award Category Recipient Result 2007 Won Nominated Nominated Nominated Won Superman Returns Nominated & Won Won Superman Returns Won Home media [ ] Superman Returns debuted on on November 28, 2006 in two versions, one with a single disc, and a double-disc edition which featured over three hours of behind-the-scenes features. That same day, a 14-disc DVD titled Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition was released, containing special editions of all five Superman films, as well as the documentary. It debuted at the top spot of the DVD charts, and also generated $13 million in rentals during its first week. The film was also released in both formats,, which featured both standard and high definitions on the same disc, and. It was the best-selling title on both formats in 2006, and was among the best-sellers of both formats of 2007. Unproduced sequel and reboot [ ] In February 2006, four months before the release of Superman Returns, Warner Bros. Announced a mid-2009 theatrical release date for a sequel, with Bryan Singer reprising his directing duties.,,,,, and were to reprise their roles. Due to his commitment, Singer dropped out of directing a remake of and an adaptation of. Writer wanted the sequel to be 'action packed', featuring 'other Kryptonians' with and also considered for primary villains. The ' landmass floating in space at the end of Superman Returns would have served as a. Although Superman Returns received mostly positive reviews, Warner Bros. And Legendary Pictures were disappointed by the film's box office return. President explained that Superman Returns was a very successful film, but that it 'should have done $500 million worldwide. We should have had perhaps a little more action to satisfy the young male crowd.' Singer reacted incredulously to the studio complaints, saying, 'That movie made $400 million! I don’t know what constitutes under-performing these days.' $175 million was the maximum budget Warner Bros. Was projecting for the sequel, as Superman Returns cost $204 million. Filming for the Superman Returns sequel was to start in mid-2007, before Singer halted development in favor of. Filming was then pushed to March 2008, but writers Dougherty and left in favor of other career opportunities. The pushed the release date to 2010. Singer still listed the sequel as a priority in March 2008, saying that the film was in early development. Routh expected filming to begin in early 2009., president of DC Comics, expected Routh to reprise the title role from Superman Returns before his contract for a sequel expired in 2009. However, with Warner Bros. Deciding to the film series, Singer dropped out in favor of directing. In August 2008, Warner Bros. President of Production Jeff Robinov reflected, ' Superman Returns didn't quite work as a film in the way that we wanted it to. It didn't position the character the way he needed to be positioned. Had Superman worked in 2006, we would have had a movie for Christmas of this year or 2009. Now the plan is just to reintroduce Superman without regard to a Batman and Superman movie at all.' It was announced the reboot of film series titled was released on June 14, 2013 with directed by and starring as Superman, it is also the first film in the. See also [ ] • References [ ].
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Bride & Prejudice (DVD): Based on Jane Austen's classic novel, Pride and Prejudice, with a Bollywood twist. In Ammritsar, the determined Mrs. Bakshi sets out to find. A refreshing bridal experience: inspired by the refined, confident, + independent bride. By director Gurinder Chadha, responsible for the great Bend it Like Beckham, BRIDE AND PREJUDICE is a pretty faithful retelling of Jane Austin's 'Pride and Prejudice'. Lalita (Aishwarya Rai) is the second oldest daughter of a well-to-do Indian family, celebrating the arranged engagement of their oldest to the wealthy and handsome Balraj Bingley (Naveen Andrews), an Indian living in Britain. He's come to meet his future wife, and he's brought his aristocratic sister Kiran (Indira Varma) and American buddy William Darcy (Martin Henderson). It's Darcy's first time in India, and he's having trouble adjusting. So when a huge musical number breaks out, he just doesn't feel comfortable jumping into the swirling throng and dancing. To Lalita, he comes off as aloof, and she dismisses him as a boorish American, more interested in making money than in the beautiful culture around him. As in Austin's novel, Lalita and Darcy repeatedly grow closer and draw apart. Bride and Prejudice is a fluffy Bollywood-style musical romance that will be fun for teens and parents who can forgive some half-baked lyrics. The film is beautiful -- the musical bits are swirls of choreographed color, with dozens of synchronized dancers reminiscent of Busby Berkeley productions. The music never quite rises to the level of the dancing, however, and the tepid English lyrics in particular grow tiring as the movie goes on, as. The actors are charming, though, and the inevitable crisis near the end of the film gives the movie a needed pick-up. East meets West in this exuberant musical Bollywood remake of the Jane Austen novel. When Mr Balraj (Naveen Andrews) - a highly eligible bachelor - arrives from London to take up residence next door to the Bakshi family, he causes quite a stir: the Bakshis have four unmarried daughters, and have high hopes for their new neighbour. But Lalita (Aishwarya Rai), their clever and headstrong second daughter, is skeptical about her family's plans, and when she meets Mr Balraj's best friend, American hotelier Will Darcy (Martin Henderson), she is confirmed in the belief that her reservations are well-placed. Where social status provided the impediments between Elizabeth and Darcy in Austen's novel, it is the cultural divide that keeps Lalita and Darcy apart in Gurinder Chadha's film. But can love win, and this divide be bridged? The film was shot on location in India and the US. Vincent is an old Vietnam vet whose stubbornly hedonistic ways have left him without money or a future. Things change when his new next-door neighbor's son, Oliver, needs a babysitter and Vince is willing enough for a fee. From that self-serving act, an unexpected friendship forms as Vincent and Oliver find so much of each other's needs through each other. As Vincent mentors Oliver in street survival and other worldly ways, Oliver begins to see more in the old man than just his foibles. When life takes a turn for the worse for Vincent, both them find the best in each other than no one around them suspects. One of Alabama's largest hospitals with 300+ doctors in 54 specialties including women's and children's healthcare services, cardiac care, oncology, and neurosciences. Saint Vincent is a volcanic island in the Caribbean. It is the largest island of the country Saint Vincent and the Grenadines. It is located in the Caribbean Sea. Although medication has been the most popular form of treatment to combat high blood pressure, studi. August 04, 2017 - Employers expect healthcare spending to increase by 5.5 percent in 2018, up from a 4.6 percent increase in 2017, according to a The continued rise in costs has turned health cost management as a top employer concern, since higher costs can reduce the affordability of health plans for employees. However, 92 percent of employers say they will continue to sponsor employee health benefits over the next five years as they deploy robust cost management strategies to defray the financial impact of doing so. Dig Deeper • • • “Cost management of health benefit programs remains the top priority for employers in 2017 and 2018,” said Julie Stone, a national healthcare practice leader at Willis Towers Watson. “Yet, with rising concerns about affordability, employers are challenged to keep costs low without overburdening employees financially,” she added. The survey revealed how large and small employers are implementing key cost containment techniques to keep insurance coverage affordable for their beneficiaries. Encourage employees to use innovative healthcare delivery systems Employers see mobile, innovative healthcare delivery as an important method for curbing unnecessary healthcare costs. Around 78 percent of surveyed employers currently use telemedicine consults, and another 16 percent expect to add these options in 2018. The use of “centers of excellence” within health plans can also help for care before they get paid, and can reduce unnecessary healthcare expenses. About 44 percent of employers in the survey used these centers, and another 33 percent are planning to or considering using centers of excellence by 2019. Employers also actively relied on the use high-performance networks to only pay for the best possible care for employees without additional fee-for-service costs. Roughly 15 percent of employers currently use such networks, and 36 percent plan to by 2019. Address health carrier selection based on competitive cost-agreements A large majority of employers evaluated their health insurance carriers based on factors over a three year period. Those factors included a carrier’s competitiveness of negotiated provider discounts (94 percent), competitiveness of a carrier’s network access (94 percent), and the competitiveness of a vendor’s total cost of care (92 percent.) Employers are taking into account all possible quantitative and qualitative carrier distinctions before choosing one. Manage pharmacy costs through purchasing strategies can create financial hardship for employers, payers, and beneficiaries. Around 62 percent of employers currently evaluate their pharmacy benefit contract terms, and another 32 percent plan to do the same by 2019. Employers have also looked into opting out of their current pharmacy benefits, with plans to seek out new contracts that meet their specialty pharmacy strategies. Sixty percent of employers recently adopted new coverage or utilization restrictions as part of a specialty pharmacy strategy. Another 24 percent of employers plan to, or will consider, doing so in the next two years. Performance measurement is also helping employers choose the right prescription drug benefits. Roughly 44 percent of employers address drug costs and utilization performance through medical benefits, and 38 more plan to in the near future. Personalize employee choice and promote employee health engagement Outside of direct purchasing and measurement cost management, employers realize that giving their employees more healthcare options and more engagement opportunities can promote better health. Offering voluntary benefits and additional services gives employees more choices about their coverage, which may encourage enrollment in optimized health plans. About 66 percent of employers currently use this tactic and another 20 percent expect to by 2019. Twenty-four percent of employers currently offer employees digital marketplaces to shop for health options, and 55 percent offer patient-facing health navigation tools. Analysts at Willis Towers Watson reminded employers that cost-management strategies need to be specifically tailored to the needs of the company and its employees due to variability in beneficiary pools. “Employers understand that there is no single strategy for success when it comes to healthcare, and it is critical to engage employees through education and communication that will create a win/win,” said Catherine O’Neill, a senior healthcare consultant at Willis Towers Watson. “The most effective health programs will include a broad range of strategies that encompass employee and dependent participation, program design and subsidy levels, and plan efficiency. The ultimate goal is to offer a high-value plan that manages costs for both employers and employees while also improving health outcomes.”. 'Sleepwalking' is a song by the British rock band Bring Me the Horizon. Written by the band's vocalist Oliver Sykes, the guitarist Lee Malia and the keyboardist. What is sleepwalking? Sleepwalking (also called somnambulism) is a behavior in which your child appears to wake up during the night and walk or do other activities without any memory of having engaged in the activities. Sleepwalking tends to occur within an hour or two of falling asleep and may last on average between 5 and 15 minutes. What are the symptoms of sleepwalking? The most obvious sign is getting out of bed and walking around. But sleepwalking actually can involve a range of other behaviors, including: • Sitting up in bed and repeating movements, such as rubbing eyes or tugging on pajamas • Looking dazed (sleepwalkers' eyes are open but they do not see the same way they do when they are fully awake) • Being clumsy • Not responding when spoken to • Being difficult to wake up • Sleep talking • Urinating in undesirable places What are the causes of sleepwalking? Causes of sleepwalking include: • Hereditary (i.e., the condition may run in families) • Lack of sleep or fatigue • Interrupted sleep or inefficient sleep (including from disorders like ) • Illness or • Certain medications • Stress, • Going to bed with full bladder • Noisy sleep environment/different sleep environment. The Last Temptation of Christ, by Martin Scorsese, is a towering achievement. Though it initially engendered enormous controversy, the film can now be viewed as the remarkable, profoundly personal work of faith that it is. The Last Temptation of Christ has 9,767 ratings and 610 reviews. Mohamed said: يمكن اعتبار نيكوس كازانتزاكيس أحد أقل الكتاب. Buy The Last Temptation of Christ: Read 434 Movies & TV Reviews - Amazon.com. The Last Temptation of Christ movie reviews & Metacritic score: A thought-provoking interpretation of the classic tale of Christ, Temptation explores the ide. The Last Temptation of Christ movie reviews & Metacritic score: A thought-provoking interpretation of the classic tale of Christ, Temptation explores the ide. The Last Temptation of Christ or The Last Temptation is a historical novel written by Nikos Kazantzakis, first published in 1955. It was first published in English in 1960. The Holy Synod of the Greek Orthodox Church in Athens wanted this book banned in Greece stating: This novel, which is derived from the inspiration of the. This fifteen-year labor of love, an adaptation of Nikos Kazantzakis’s landmark novel that imagines an alternate fate for Jesus Christ, features outstanding performances by Willem Dafoe, Barbara Hershey, Harvey Keitel, Harry Dean Stanton, and David Bowie; bold cinematography by the great Michael Ballhaus; and a transcendent score by Peter Gabriel. Quotes: Judas, my brother, I have something to tell you. I have a terrible secret from God. You know why I came to Jerusalem?: Yes. This is where the revolution is going to begin.: Last night, Isaiah came to me. He had a prophecy, I saw it written. It said, 'He has borne our faults; he was wounded for our transgressions, yet he opened now his mouth. Despised and rejected by all, he went forward without resisting, like a lamb led to the slaughter.' : I don't understand.: Judas, I am the lamb. Condemned by Fundamentalists upon release, delayed by outcries from hypocrites and liars, and boycotted in any city where it played 'The Last Temptation of Christ' is one of the most controversial movies ever made. Instead of showing Christ as a fearless and perfect person, 'The Last Temptation' depicts Him as a person who fought his destiny and wished to be just another mortal human being. Religious groups who couldn't (and still can't) accept the fact that Jesus was human were shocked by such ideas and refused to see the film or read the landmark novel on which it was based. They'll never know that they attacked one of the most honest and loving depictions of Christ. The Christ we see in the film is not based on the teachings of the Gospels, or any scripture for that matter. Instead we get a portrait of Christ the man, not Christ the Savior. We get to see his faults, his fears and anxieties. Then, we get to see him overcome those and find the strength to fulfill his destiny. The Last Temptation of Christ is not afraid to say that Jesus was weak before he became the Savior, and that makes the film all the more satisfying. This is a tale of redemption, courage, and love like no other. There is no reason to miss this film. Not everyone will like it, but at the very least it will let you see another perspective of the story. And even if you can't accept the story, you won't be able to deny the greatness of Scorsese's direction. From the epic crowd scenes, to the intimate one-on-one conversations, to the stunning final shot (which was actually caused by an overexposed section of film, but is beautiful nonetheless), you will be awed by Scorsese's work here. Also stunning is the work of the two leads. Willem Dafoe inhabits the role of Christ perfectly, bringing perfectly controlled emotion to each and every scene. Harvey Keitel as Judas has been the subject of debate because of his NYC accent. That was on purpose (Scorsese used accents to denote the descent of characters. American accent = Israelite; British accent = Roman), but it doesn't even matter. Keitel is brilliant no matter what his accent is. Honest, human, loving, and unafraid, 'The Last Temptation of Christ' is one of the great cinematic achievements of all time. Martin Scorsese crafted with this film his most personal masterpiece, and perhaps his greatest masterpiece ever. Preview and download your favorite episodes of Battlefront WWII: Road to Victory, or the entire season. Buy the season for $24.99. Episodes start at $1.99. Victory Road (2008) was a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA) promotion that took place on July 13. Welcome to my little web home! Faith, life, and creativity comingle here in a happy little dance that defines what From Victory Road is all about. You will find finished mixed media arts, crafts, and journal pages, along with ideas and how to tips. Coloring pages and resources and book reviews are here to help you join me in finding your own creative expression. I invite you to come along on this voyage of discovery as I pursue my dreams of creating and sharing a loving, learning, artistic life! Like what you see? Sign up to receive news and updates right in your inbox! Jan 18, 2014 - 58 sec - Uploaded by Kyla GolfarMovie: Cruel Intentions 3 Trailer Cast: Kerr Smith. Available in: DVD. If the intentions in the first two installments weren't bad enough, the ones on Columbia TriStar's release of Cruel Intentions 3. Once again, there are three main characters. This time, they're all equals, or at least, they think they're all equals. We spend the most time with Jason (Kerr Smith), probably because he's handsome and not completely creepy. Next is Patrick (Nathan Wetherington), the man who ends up being Jason's roommate. Finally, we have Cassidy (Kristina Anapau), a woman who had a previous relationship with Jason, and who happens to be the cousin of Kathryn from the previous two Cruel Intentions films. Apart from the character link, there's not much else that the films have in common. Oh, there's also the fact that all three characters are masters of manipulation, a common theme among every film in the series, but if you're expecting a bunch of character mentions or even cameos, you're going to be disappointed. All of the relation to the previous films is taken care of after the first ten minutes, which I think was a good choice. If we're constantly being reminded of the first (better) film, it's going to be hard to enjoy this one. Once the plot gets rolling, it ends up something like this: The two men make a bet with one another to see who can seduce their target first, and Cassidy sits back and waits. That's really as simple as it gets, although there is a lot of backstabbing and relationship drama thrown into the middle. It also takes a while for this main plot to get going, as the film is actually interested in establishing its characters. I mean, it doesn't do that particularly well, but at least the effort is there. Eventually, Cruel Intentions 3 actually lives up to its name and gets really cruel. I would go so far as to call it 'nasty,' to be quite honest with you. While I would hesitate to call any of the characters in this series 'nice,' one of the ones in this film makes the others look like angels. Without wanting to spoil much of the latter half of Cruel Intentions 3, let's just say that what initially seems like playing ends up much worse than that for some people. I'm not sure if we're supposed to feel satisfied at the end. We shouldn't be rooting for any of these characters, not even the seemingly innocent (after the first few scenes) Cassidy. All of them have hidden agendas and plans that they won't let anyone else in on. But like a well-planned and executed heist, once the film ends and all of the twists have been revealed, it's hard to not have a smile on your face, even after you come to terms with what it was you just saw, and the implications that it holds. Granted, this doesn't actually make the film all that good, and there is certainly a lot to dislike about the production, but the ending, for better or worse, gives you some payoff. And since there's a decent plot to bring you to the ending, it's really difficult to not at least think that Cruel Intentions 3 is worth watching, especially if you've stuck with the series for this long already. Okay, onto the bad parts. First, the secondary cast members are drastically underutilized, to the point where it was hard to tell who was doing what at any given time if they weren't one of our three leads. The film tries to get us to care about a couple of them, but it never works the way that it should due to lack of time and development. Next, the production values are really low, although given that it's a direct-to-DVD movie, I guess you're expecting that. I actually didn't mind two of the lead actors, Kerr Smith and Kristina Anapau. They were charming enough to be believable, and they had a decent chemistry. Dragging them down was Nathan Wetherington, who was wooden and not at all engaging from start to finish. I was rooting against him from about midway on, not because of his character at that point, but because Wetherington had no charm and no charisma. I couldn't believe that he had a chance of seducing the women he goes after. I should mention that this film was probably made only to cash in on the Cruel Intentions name, and that the dialogue at the beginning was only included so that there was a tangential link to the previous films. I'm guessing that the script was written without Cruel Intentions even being thought of, and was changed in hopes of making some money from fans of the franchise. It's a move that carries with it expectations. Fans of the first film might be disappointed with this one simply because it feels like a cash grab with little relation to the earlier film. I don't mind this tactic too much, but it's really obvious here that this film exists pretty much by itself. Cruel Intentions 3 never becomes bad, and in some areas, it's actually the best in the series. Overall, it still doesn't match the first film, but it's also not unwatchable. If all you want to see is a trio of people going around and seducing other people, you might have a good time, even if it's all immoral and wrong and all that jazz. There's actually a decent, albeit overly convoluted, plot this time around, and I did like the payoff that comes from the ending. Feb 26, 2013. The diabolical Mr. Hyde has unleashed a horde of nightmare creatures on the Mega Mondo Pop Cartoon-a-Con where Shaggy and Scooby are planning to see the new Blue Falcon and Dynomutt movie. Now it's up to Mystery Incorporated to stop a mixed-up madman, and save the day. Mask of the Blue Falcon is the nineteenth film in the Direct-to-video series of. Mask of the Blue Falcon Review: Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon by Released in February 2013, Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon is the latest installment in the Scooby-Doo direct-to-video animated film series with this instance featuring Hanna-Barbera’s Blue Falcon. Created in 1976 by Joe Ruby and Ken Spears as an analogy to Batman, Blue Falcon co-starred with sidekick Dynomutt in the series Dynomutt, Dog Wonder as part of The Scooby-Doo/Dynomutt Hour. Dynomutt, referred as Dog Wonder (a play on Robin the Boy Wonder), was a mechanical canine with features in the vein of Inspector Gadget (predating Gadget by several years), sharing further similarities in that their various devices malfunctioned at inopportune times. Alerted to danger by the Falcon Flash (in place of the Bat-Signal or Batphone), the duo slipped away to the Falcon’s Lair (in place of the Batcave) to report to secret agent F.O.C.U.S. One (shades of Birdman’s Falcon 7) and raced into action with the flying Falconcar (some amalgamation of the Batmobile and the Fantastic Four’s Fantasticar). In the show’s initial episode, the duo teamed with Mystery, Inc. In a fashion akin to The New Scooby-Doo Movies (which previously featured Batman and Robin as a somewhat pilot for Super Friends) as the group faced off with the villainous Mister Hyde. A frequent device employed in Dynomutt, Dog Wonder borrowed from the featuring the heroes imperiled at the hands of their enemies though instead of leaving the cliffhanger at episode’s end, it would be before a commercial break. Blue Falcon II For Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon, Blue Falcon was re-imagined as a series like the 1960s Batman television show that Shaggy and Scooby-Doo greatly admired in their youth. Mystery, Inc. Accompanied Shaggy and Scoob as they attended the San de Pedro Mega Mondo Pop Cartoon-a-Con (an obvious nod to the San Diego Comic-Con International), learning Blue Falcon was being brought back as a new dark, gritty film directed by a thinly-veiled analogy of Michael Bay and starring Brad Adams (voiced by Diedrich Bader who voiced Batman in Batman: The Brave and the Bold, which featured Mystery, Inc. In the episode “Bat-Mite Presents: Batman’s Strangest Cases!”). Blue Falcon had previously received a darker treatment as part of the Toonami Flash Comics series of webcomics on Cartoon Network’s website while this film’s version appeared as some cross between SilverHawks‘ Flashback and Image Comics’ ShadowHawk in appearance. The while, the actor who played the original Blue Falcon in Owen Garrison (a nod to Blue Falcon’s original voice actor Gary Owens) has been ruined by the film as syndication of the series on television had ceased (which supplied residuals to the actor) and Garrison had been forbidden from wearing the character’s costume at public appearances (a nod to Adam West) as the studio tries to erase the memory of the original Blue Falcon from the minds of movie goers. Where Mystery, Inc. Go from simply attending the convention to investigating a mystery is when Mr. Hyde from the Blue Falcon series appears in real life in a bid to ruin the film (Hyde re-imagined as Blue Falcon’s arch-nemesis). Heart of Evil When I initially heard about the film, I anticipated a continuation of the episode “Heart of Evil” from Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated which re-imagined Blue Falcon as a security guard for Quest Labs whose canine partner was severely injured but who was saved by Dr. Benton Quest becoming a cyborg. This Blue Falcon was reminiscent of Frank Miller’s The Dark Knight Returns depiction of Batman who wanted vengeance for the near loss of his partner (learning Quest’s arch-nemesis Dr. Zin was responsible). As the plot unfolded, I was a bit disappointed but understood that the Scooby-Doo films operate in a different continuity from its various properties (obviously even separate from the original continuity). Initially, I was also turned off by the portrayal of Velma in the film. A bit of a Velma fan, for about the first fifteen minutes of the film the character is rather mean-spirited, snippy, arrogant, snobbish, and bitchy. However, as the film progressed and the focus shifted to the mystery, Velma seemed to mellow out. Amazing Spider-Man Generally, the movie was just an extended old school episode of Scooby-Doo. All of the show’s basic elements appear and are played out such as trapping and unmasking the villain. What really makes the film notable is the nods and homages. It would be easier to say what Hanna-Barbera properties didn’t get some attention at the Cartoon-a-Con between posters, statues, merchandise, and cosplayers, every notable (and not so notable) H-B property seemed to get some love. In the continuity of the film, it would appear virtually all major cartoons and comic books were of Hanna-Barbera’s various projects (save the Littlest Fuzzies that Daphne is obsessed with collecting). When Fred, Daphne, and Velma are forced to sneak into the convention at one point, they donned cosplay of the Herculoids which was quite amusing. Hanna-Barbera nods are not alone. A nod to the British game show Robot Wars (which inspired subsequent shows like BattleBots and Robotica) was given with Combat Bots with the character Jack Rabble (who shares a table with Owen Garrison). In a rather inspired decision, Peter Parker’s classic scene of abandoning his Spider-Man costume in a trash can in The Amazing Spider-Man #50 (July 1967) is paid homage when Scooby-Doo abandons his Dynomutt cosplay costume. The Fantastic World of Hanna-Barbera The DVD’s special features are three classic episodes of Scooby-Doo, one where Shaggy, Scooby, and his nephew Scrappy have to guard a rare comic book in the Adventures of Slime Boy #1 for “Comic Book Caper” and another an episode of The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo. Noticeable absent is the aforementioned “Heart of Evil” episode from Scooby-Doo! Mystery Incorporated as well as “Dyno-Might” featuring Blue Falcon from Dexter’s Laboratory. Another good option would be an episode of Dynomutt, Dog Wonder such as its first episode “Everyone Hyde!” guest-starring Mystery, Inc. (“What Now, Lowbrow?” and “The Wizard of Ooze” also featured the group) or perhaps “The Injustice League of America” featuring several of Blue Falcon’s enemies teaming up against him (in the film, a scene depicts Blue Falcon and Dynomutt standing beside a variation of the Injustice League with some amalgamation of Superthug and Fishface as the Worm is replaced by Ironface and Swamp Rat). OUR SPONSORS – Please buy something here! П™‚ [zstore contributorhandle=”scoobydoo” showhowmany=”15″]. Having grown up watching Scooby-Doo on weekend morning TV and having a son that loves Scooby-Doo as well, then it took no convincing of me to sit down and watch 'Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon' when my son asked me to watch it with him. Mask of the Blue Falcon' is true to every other Scooby-Doo animated adventure, for better or worse. Sure, there is the familiarity aspect to it, but at the same time there is also something new, as it was quite nice to see superheroes make an appearance in a Scooby-Doo adventure. The animation is good and the art style is very much in tune with the traditional art that defined Scooby-Doo ever since the early beginning. As it always is with a Scooby-Doo animated movie, the voice acting is great, and they got a good ensemble of cast members to perform the voices of the various characters. It is always nice to have the familiar voices of Frank Welker, Mindy Cohn, Grey DeLisle and Matthew Lillard in these movie. There is an abundance of references and nods towards other Hanna-Barbera cartoons. And it was actually a fun way that they put them into this particular Scooby-Doo adventure. Mask of the Blue Falcon' is definitely one of the better animated Scooby-Doo movies I have seen in a while. My rating of 'Scooby-Doo! Mask of the Blue Falcon' is 6 out of 10 stars. The critic score for this movie is spot on. The strongest section of this movie is our following Sunny Pawar, heavy subject matter, layered, detailed and these scenes have drive behind them. Not that the second half was poor, but it lacked depth. The pace picked up quickly and the feel to The critic score for this movie is spot on. The strongest section of this movie is our following Sunny Pawar, heavy subject matter, layered, detailed and these scenes have drive behind them. Not that the second half was poor, but it lacked depth. The pace picked up quickly and the feel to this side was thin. Rooney Mara's character felt as if she was just in the movie because she is in the real world life of Saroo. And you can only stretch Google Earth so far in movie format. My last quibble with the movie is the cinematography. With the locales and places depicted in the film there were so many chances for the cinematography to shine, for the watcher to be awed by the diversity shown on the screen and the beauty of these places. I was left wanting. It was serviceable but not a wowing experience. That being said, this is a feel-good movie and it accomplishes this in spades, both with young and old Saroo. It accomplishes what it set out to do in the end, with a few hiccups along the way. The true story behind Lion is a very nice tale, and I thank this movie for making me aware of it. Unfortunately I have to say that as a movie I'm not too impressed with Lion. The pacing of the film I think is its main problem, because you can't get too emotionally invested in the characters The true story behind Lion is a very nice tale, and I thank this movie for making me aware of it. Unfortunately I have to say that as a movie I'm not too impressed with Lion. The pacing of the film I think is its main problem, because you can't get too emotionally invested in the characters before you are making a jump to another thing. The first part of the movie as a child is actually much better at this, but the second half feels a little incomplete. Perhaps with a few more minutes added the pacing may have been improved, but as it is I didn't connect to deeply with the plot or the characters, nor it let me appreciate the quality of their acting. Watch video Adapted from the non-fiction book A Long Way Home by Saroo Brierley, LION is about a Indian boy who, after a wrong train. Nevertheless, the movie does have good points, as I said the story is very nice tale, and Dev Patel sells it nicely enough. In conclusion, Lion is a solid movie that tells you a 'feel good' story, but it loses itself in parts with its meh pacing. Recommended only if you enjoy the type of story. Final Verdict: 6.7. |
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